The present invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to guitars.
Conventional guitar comprise hollow wooden bodies having front and back panels spaced apart by a perimeter side wall. Guitar strings extend from a bridge attached at a central point on the front panel to a head mechanism on a neck structure extending longitudinally away from the guitar body. A fretboard is attached to a longitudinal face of the neck structure.
The guitar is played by pressing the fingers of one hand against tensioned strings at different selected points (wires) along the fretboard, while strumming the fingers of the other hand over the strings at points near the bridge. Apparently, vibrational motions of the strings are transmitted through the bridge to the front panel, thereby raising and lowering the front panel of the guitar body in a vibratory fashion. Air within the guitar is alternately pressurized and depressurized to generate musical sounds. The front panel of the guitar body acts as a vibratory sound board. A circular opening extends through the front panel to facilitate sound transmission from within the guitar outwardly to the ambient atmosphere. Most of the emitted sound passes through the circular opening in the front panel.
The guitar of the present invention comprises an imperforate hollow body at least partially filled with a foam core. A front panel of the hollow body supports a conventional bridge and a longitudinally extending fretboard. The guitar strings extend from the bridge over and along the fretboard to a conventional head mechanism in generally conventional manner.
The present invention is concerned primarily with the rigid foam core located within the guitar body. It has been found that when the foam core is used, more resonant sounds are produced. Apparently, tiny cell walls of the foam core vibrate to enhance the musical sound. The foam core has the same thickness as the spacing between the front and back panels of the guitar body. Therefore, the major faces of the foam core are in contact with inner surfaces of the panels. However, a central transverse passage extends through the foam core and appears to improve the musical output. Also, recesses are defined in opposite faces of the foam core body to further improve the musical effects. The guitar produces a more resonant audible output than a conventional guitar.